Urine testing

Someone sent this to me, I thought I'd pass it along.


Like a lot of folks in this state I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem.

What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them??

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sitting on their ass. Could you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?????

Please pass this along if you agree or simply Delete if you don't. Hope you all will pass it along, though. Something has to change in this country and soon!!!!!

[SuzySunshine]

This came from the presidential debate the other night, and I agree with what one of the candidates said (yes, I'm agreeing with a democrat!). He said the problem with this logic is we're not only helping the person we're helping their family and the people that are trying to get off of these problems are the ones that need our help the most. If we deny their benefits for this reason alone they're never going to get on their feet.

Ladybug- I just this same conversation the other day - about "buying" safety with food stamps and welfare because the alternative would be even worse.

After teaching for far too long in inner-city schools, I have seen things that make my blood boil. The thing that sticks in my memory the most is my two 8th grade students (with seemingly straight teeth already) who had braces paid for by Tenncare - Tennessee's Medicaid. Add to that that both were ungrateful, lazy, disrespectful students with very low reading ability due to complete lack of effort. My taxes paid for their braces, but the dental insurance offered by my DOE and DH's residency program didn't cover braces for my own children. It makes me mad just to think about it now! That's just one small example, I could go on and on...
I could begin my rant about welfare mothers who get their children diagnosed with everything possible (behavioral) through the school system to boost their welfare checks for their "disabled" children. Just because your child is very badly behaved and completely unprepared for school does not mean that there is something certifiably wrong with him that you should be paid for! AAAHHHH!!!!

Deep breath...

[Stella]

Umm, yeah. I need braces and I've needed them for 10 years. Do I have braces? Did I ever get braces? No.

My parents said, "College or braces."

I chose college.

Entropy- I agree with you.

Along the lines of Tenncare paying for braces (BTW, isn't Tenncare pretty much bankrupt, now, or hasn't it been discontinued or reformed?) what do you guys think of Connecticut wanting HMOs to cover IVF ???

[SuzySunshine]

I'll just say...

Don't get me started on insurances covering fertility treatments and IVF - infertility is a DISEASE, no you won't die from it like AIDS or Cancer but its a disease and as an insurance customer I should be able to be treated for it. (I need that run and hide guy again...Kris?)

Entropy- I agree with you.

Along the lines of Tenncare paying for braces (BTW, isn't Tenncare pretty much bankrupt, now, or hasn't it been discontinued or reformed?) what do you guys think of Connecticut wanting HMOs to cover IVF ???

Tenncare has been scaled waaaay back, but it is still offered to some who qualify. It didn't affect their braces...

[rainbabies]

I'll just say...

Don't get me started on insurances covering fertility treatments and IVF - infertility is a DISEASE, no you won't die from it like AIDS or Cancer but its a disease and as an insurance customer I should be able to be treated for it. (I need that run and hide guy again...Kris?)

cheri-

i have a friend that is going thru fertility issues...she has $1200 coverage for fertility. "a fertility doc wouldnt spit on me for $1200"

i feel badly for her and her dh.

[SuzySunshine]

Yeh, it pretty much sucks and we hopefully won't ever have to approach the IVF stage. We get 50% coverage including meds on DH's insurance. We thought about switching to my insurance at the change of the year b/c my insurance covers the treatments at 80% but not the drugs at all. We went back and looked at what we had already spent and found it would be about a wash - the drugs are EXPENSIVE! If we had been able to get pg naturally with no or little medical intervention there would have been no question about me staying home afterwards but this has taken a large chunk of our savings already. We are lucky in that we haven't had to borrow any money yet.

There are about 8 states that require insurance companies to cover infertility. This will probably be one of those topics I become an advocate for some day b/c I don't think anyone (religious, government or otherwise) should be able to tell me that I can't have biological children just because my ovaries don't work.

[DCJenn]

To the first point-

I have numerous clients who would test postive for drugs- but who are currently working very hard at turning their lives around.

We are obligated by the Feds to drug test randomly 8 times a year but we do it once a month. We test for alcohol, marijuana, methadone, heroin, benzos, cocaine and one other thing that I'm blanking on-

They get discounts on their methadone if they're clean for X number of months and they get increases in take-home methadone for X number of clean urine screens plus compliance with other aspects of the program- although the total numbers are controlled by the Feds. No one in our clinic goes more than 6 days within being seen by dispensing.

So, with that- we have people who are still dealing with addiction but may not be using heroin. or we have people who are still struggling to get the heroin addiction under control. My argument is that someone who is attending our program, even sporadically is better off than someone who isn't- even if they're using.

As for the other issues, there are lots of really stupid things that are not covered by medicaid. Regular dental visits are NOT covered in Texas but emergency dental surgery is...and gee, which one would cost more? makes no sense.

I have no doubt that there are people who abuse the various systems of support but there has to be a safety net, particularly for those people who are unable to support themselves.

Jenn

[SuzySunshine]

I shoudl clarify that I think each state should make their own rules about infertility as a state benefit, should it be covered? Probably not - but a private insurance company should have to offer benefits for it like most other diseases.

I have no doubt that there are people who abuse the various systems of support but there has to be a safety net, particularly for those people who are unable to support themselves.

Jenn

that's how I feel about most public aid systems. welfare / WIC being used to support lifestyle choices rather than needs. but if you close of availability to those who can bend their life to fit the criteria, you also take help away from those who totally need it.

[Laker]

I am not sure how I feel about infertility being covered.

Should elective plastic surgery be covered by insurance?

[DCJenn]

Laker-

elective plastic surgery was a 'benefit' of military service- it helped the surgeons practice. Sadly, that's no longer an issue but there are a lot of Army and AF pediatricians with perky boobs!.

Jenn

[pstone]

I think in a perfect world everthing would be covered and everyone would get everything they want, but.....yes but....

there is simply not the money to pay for it, IVF for instance is not the same as cancer and you have to prioritize what you can pay for. When we say insurers should pay for something, what we mean is everyone else in the plan with us should pay for it.

I feel the same about ED meds: not where I think our dollars should be spent. Dental cleanings yes, braces no. Elective Plastics, no.

we have to figure out what we want to spend our money on.